The development was supposed to include up to 5,000 lower-priced hotel rooms as well as up to 500,000 feet of new retail space.

However, before all these plans could come to pass, the great financial crisis of 2008 hit. Many of Disney’s partners in the project were no longer able to arrange for financing for all the new buildings.

Even though the project nearly ground to a halt, Disney still went ahead with preparing the land. They cleared away trees and put in utilities and roads. Even today, one can see roads, landscaping, and street signs, but no buildings. The area is ready to go, but is undeveloped.

That may be about to change.

Papers Filed

The Reedy Creek Improvement District (RCID), known to some folks as Disney’s personal government, filed paperwork with the South Florida Water Management District. The Water Management District is responsible for overseeing water resources from Orlando south, which is about half of Florida.

The paperwork included an application for two new Marriott-branded hotels in Disney’s Flamingo Crossings. These include a Townplace Suites and a Springhill Suites. According to the plans, the two hotels will share a pool and gym, but will have separate lobbies.

Townplace Suites is a moderately priced, extended-stay type of hotel where the rooms include a full kitchen; Springhill Suites is an upper-moderately priced hotel where rooms have a kitchenette.

Property diagram filed with the water management district.

While these hotels are on property that Disney is developing, they will almost certainly be classified as “off-site hotels” (much like those in the Disney Springs area), so they likely will not participate in perks for Disney resorts like Extra Magic Hours, Disney transportation, and Disney’s Magical Express.

Herb is the founder, author, webmaster, chief executive, and chief bottle washer for World Of Walt – and he is the Disney enthusiast who put this site together. Ever since his parents took him to the Magic Kingdom on a family vacation as a youngster, he has had an interest in the magic that Disney creates for families.